You will end up taking plenty of courses for your Major here at UW-Green Bay and they are all important to your educational development, but Internships might be a great opportunity for you to gain real world experience. They are not mandatory, but are highly recommended by many professors/ advisors and myself. No matter what your Major or interest is, there is most likely some sort of Internship or opportunity out there for you. Some Internship can be for student organizations here on campus or other internships can be for outside companies and businesses.
So how do Internships work? Well I can’t speak for all internships, but I will try my best to describe the general process. Typically you can go see your advisor and ask him or her what sorts or Internships or opportunities are nearby that suits your interest. Once you find something you like, you may have to apply or interview for your desired position, which also provides good practice with the interviewing process for the future. Some Internships can be paid positions, non-paid positions, or positions that get course credit, but no matter what the compensation is, the work you do and the skills you learn are the important part. To my best knowledge, most Internships on campus through student organizations, etc. are for course credit. 3 credits to be exact, which translates into 1 class that you would have to take otherwise. Most Internships off of campus for companies tend to be unpaid, but give you even more real world experience!
I personally have been interning with a student organization called Phlash TV, the student run television station, for the past two years. It has given me the chance to take what I learned in the classroom and apply it to real life situations. My Major is Communications and I have an interest in electronic media and television production. This Internship allows me to practice and perfect many techniques that will give me a leg up from the competition for jobs in my future. My role at the station is Station Manager, which also builds my leaderships skills, which is very important to me!
So, I talked a lot about “real world experience”, which is the whole point and appeal to Internships. Many classes teach you about what you will encounter in certain situations, but Internships allow you to actually experience them for yourself. I starting taking my Internship my sophomore year here at UW-Green Bay and I’m planning on continuing it until I graduate. You can start or take an Internship whenever you please, but you may want to get a year of college under your belt beforehand. Please let me know if you have any questions about Internships or anything else you have on your mind. I will try my best to get back to you right away and give you a great answer!